Baby Looking Surprised
At Every Turn > Primary Care > How to choose the best urgent care clinic for a child
Tips Jan 09, 2017

How to choose the best urgent care clinic for a child

Amy Romashko, MD, Medical Director

As any parent knows, illnesses and accidents don’t always occur during your doctor’s regular office hours. Thankfully, Children’s Wisconsin has five conveniently located urgent care clinics available whenever sickness strikes.

With so many options available, it can be a bit overwhelming and, as with anything, you want to feel confident you’re making the right choice. Below are some important things to keep in mind when choosing an urgent care clinic for your child.

Quality

Just like our hospitals and primary care offices, Children’s Wisconsin’s urgent care clinics are staffed by board-certified pediatricians and specially trained advanced practice nurse practitioners. As pediatricians, we are well-equipped to treat the more complex problems that children often experience, such as cuts, sprains or fractures, infections, concussions, or trouble breathing. Our team is dedicated to quality improvement and evidence-based medicine to treat your child with the best pediatric care in the area.

Convenience

Children’s Wisconsin has urgent care clinic located in Milwaukee, Delafield, Mequon, Wauwatosa and New Berlin. All are open evenings and weekends — no appointments necessary — and our New Berlin clinic is even open on holidays.

Walk-ins are always welcome, but we know it can be difficult for a child to sit and wait when they aren’t sick, much less when they need to be seen by a doctor. You can now see the wait time at all of our urgent care clinics and even schedule an appointment using your computer or mobile device by going to childrenswi.org/urgentcare. Then you are free to wait in the comfort of your home until it’s time to come in.

Kid-friendly staff

Our staff is specially trained to work with children of any age. As we like to say at Children’s Wisconsin, kids are not just small adults. Due to their developing bodies, kids have unique needs and require specialized treatments. But we love working with kids. It’s all we do! We have the only urgent care clinics in the Milwaukee area dedicated solely to children.

Connected care

Our clinics use the same state-of-the-art electronic health record (EHR) system as the rest of Children’s Wisconsin. This inter-connectivity allows us to easily access your child’s medical history and work with his or her health care team — including their primary care doctor, the emergency department and specialists — to coordinate treatment and follow-up care, if needed. In fact, Children’s Wisconsin is the first pediatric urgent care practice in the United States to receive the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Patient-Centered Connected Care Recognition.

Cost savings

When it comes to charges and co-pays, urgent care visits are almost always less expensive than a trip the emergency room. Now, if your child has a serious or life-threatening injury, don’t hesitate to take him or her straight to the nearest emergency department or call 911. But for less critical issues — such as a sprained ankle, slight fever or minor cut — urgent care is the cheaper, and more appropriate, choice.

Children’s Wisconsin’s urgent care clinics have been caring for children in the Milwaukee area for more than 20 years. While many things change over two decades, one thing remains constant: We continue to offer high-quality, child-centered, connected care for your family when you need us.

Children's Wisconsin Resources

Children’s Wisconsin has more than 20 primary care offices conveniently located throughout the Milwaukee area and southeast Wisconsin. Find a pediatrician near you. View more articles from Amy Romashko, MD

Related stories

Common causes and treatments of burns in kids Children's Wisconsin
Tips Jul 03, 2025

The Most Common Causes of Burns in Kids

A burn can happen in a blink of an eye. And, unfortunately, they’re all too common in kids.

Fireworks safety Children's Wisconsin
Tips Jul 03, 2025

Fireworks and Kids: How To Stay Safe This Summer

Libbe Slavin Program Manager

There is no safe way to enjoy fireworks at home.

Benefits of kids helping in the kitchen Children's Wisconsin
Tips Jun 30, 2025

Little Chefs: The Benefits of Getting Kids Involved in the Kitchen

Lynelle Fischer, APNP Family Nurse Practitioner

Along with modeling health and nutrition, cooking together can teach your child important skills that'll last a lifetime.

Helping tweens and teens overcome breakups Children's Wisconsin
Tips Jun 16, 2025

Heartbreak 101: Helping Your Teen Heal After a Breakup

Artie Turner, MS, LPC Behavioral Health Consultant

While it’s painful, there are ways to help your teen navigate through the intense emotions of heartbreak.

How to keep kids hydrated in the summer Children's Wisconsin
Tips Jun 10, 2025

You Can Lead a Kid to Water, but How Do You Get Them To Drink?

Lara Seeby-Halas, MS, LAT Licensed Athletic Trainer

It can be tricky to know how much water kids need — and even trickier to get them to drink it.

Benefits of gardening with your kids Children's Wisconsin
Tips May 28, 2025

Growing Up Green: The Many Benefits of Gardening With Your Kids

Caitlin Jacobs, MPH, RD, CD Clinical Dietitian

Gardening gets your kids outside, exposes them to a variety of foods and promotes their natural curiosity.

Understanding and addressing anxiety in kids Children's Wisconsin
Tips May 20, 2025

No More Worries: How To Manage Anxiety in Children

Tyler White, LPC Behavioral Health Consultant

While anxiety is a natural part of being human, it can be quite unpleasant to live with.